Weber State football: AD says coach search 'progressing'

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Ogden • Weber State's search for a new football coach is "progressing" but hasn't reached the stage where a hiring is imminent, according to athletic director Jerry Bovee.

"There is a lot of interest in our program," Bovee said. "As I talk to people, generally there is a feeling that this is a great job and a great place to work."

Weber State is looking for its third coach in less than two years.

John L. Smith resigned in April 2012 before ever coaching a game. Jody Sears replaced Smith, but he was fired last week after the Wildcats finished the season with a 2-10 record, including 1-7 in the Big Sky Conference.

Bovee said finding a successor is "a little like putting together a puzzle, and we're putting together a good pool [of candidates]. ... We are going to have some good options."

Although Bovee's interest in them is unknown, former Idaho coach Robb Akey and bowl-bound Tulane offensive coordinator Eric Price have been mentioned on national websites as potential candidates for the Weber job.

Akey is a former Wildcat player and assistant coach under Price's father, Mike.

Eric Price attended Ogden High and also played at Weber State.

John Wristen, a former assistant at Northwestern and UCLA who has built a successful program from scratch at Division II Colorado State-Pueblo, apparently is not a candidate.

CSU-Pueblo athletic director Joe Folda told The Tribune that Bovee has not sought permission to discuss the job with Wristen, whose name has been connected with several coaching vacancy, including Eastern Michigan. 

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